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Added 9 October 2026

shorten

/ˈʃɔːtn̩/ verb

In Latin: curtō, breviō, abbreviō Wiktionary

verb Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about shorten at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Make shorter than originally intended; reduce or retrench in length or duration.
He shortened his trip due to illness
Reduce in scope while retaining essential elements.
The manuscript must be shortened
Make short or shorter.
shorten the skirt

Origin

From Middle English shortnen, schortenen, equivalent to short + -en (verbal suffix). In some senses, a continuation (in altered form) of Middle English schorten (“to make short, shorten”), from Old English sċortian (“to become short”), from Proto-Germanic *skurtōną (“to shorten”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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